We?
by AlyB123
Summary: A short Keenler one-shot to accompany episode 7.02 (Louis T. Steinhil, Conclusion). I loved the conversation between Ressler and Liz in the costume shop early in the episode where Ressler never got a chance to finish his "and I -" so this is an imagining of what might have been said between them later on.


Ressler glanced at his watch as he briefly turned his attention away from the abandoned lumberyard that loomed in the distance. He'd been staring at the nondescript warehouse for more than an hour, keeping vigil from the far corner of the parking lot, ever since he'd followed the makeshift ambulance transporting Red, Liz and Liz's grandfather to the site. In that time, a few men and women who were clearly medical personnel had arrived and rushed inside but so far no one had come out. Ressler hoped that was a good sign.

He scanned the parking lot in the fading light. He could still make out the silhouettes of Dembe and some of Red's men who had taken up positions around the warehouse. He and Dembe had agreed to keep the FBI SWAT team close enough to assist in the event of an emergency but far enough away that they wouldn't inadvertently give away the location of the warehouse. So far, things had stayed quiet.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Ressler."

"Any change?" Cooper asked.

"No, sir," Ressler replied. "Keen's still inside with Reddington."

"Has she made contact since you arrived?"

"No. But I think in this case, no news is probably good news."

"Let's hope," Cooper agreed. "Keep me posted."

"Will do," Ressler replied. He slipped his phone back in his pocket and stretched. Liz hadn't asked him to stay, but she also hadn't needed to. He would wait as long as necessary until she came out.

Another 45 minutes passed and the sun fully set before Ressler finally saw movement near the entrance of the warehouse. He squinted into the darkness as he tried to make out whether it was Liz. When he saw Dembe gesture in his direction he knew it must be Liz, and he turned on the engine and headlights to illuminate the path as she made her way across the parking lot.

Ressler scanned her face as she slid into the passenger seat. Even in the dim light, he could tell she had been crying.

"How's your grandfather?" he asked in a low voice, fearing the worst.

"Alive, but barely," Liz managed as her voice broke slightly. "Reddington told me to go home and take care of Agnes. He and Dembe will stay. They'll call if there's any change."

Ressler nodded and immediately maneuvered the SUV out of the parking lot and on to the road that would take them back to the highway and back to DC. He stole a glance at Liz as he drove. She stared out the window silently, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

"He's gonna make it, Liz," Ressler said quietly. "I'm sure Reddington's got good people working on him."

Liz nodded and swallowed, not trusting herself to speak. Barely thinking, she began to rub the scar on her wrist.

Ressler caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. "You want to go straight home? Or back to the Post Office first?" he asked.

"Post Office," Liz replied without hesitation. "Cooper's gonna want answers. I have a friend watching Agnes. She can wait a little longer."

Ressler nodded. "Did you get anything more out of Reddington as to what happened?" he probed as they turned on to the interstate.

"Not really," Liz replied. "Other than that he blames us - _me_, really, for raising the 'old ghost' of Katarina Rostova. He said maybe now I will see what that name makes people do," she added bitterly.

Ressler digested that for a moment as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The news was not unexpected but yet he'd hoped that Reddington's story would be different. He flicked his eyes towards Liz who was staring out the passenger window as she tried to compose herself. "Look, Keen - if my investigation into your mother led to all this, I'm sorry. I truly am," he replied softly. "But putting that aside, I still think you had the right to know the truth about your grandfather no matter what Reddington says. He's your family. What right does Reddington have to keep him from you?"

Liz exhaled sharply. "I don't disagree with you. How do you think I justified what I did last year? But every single time I ask questions, Reddington shuts me down. I can't tell if it's because I'm really crossing lines or because he just can't bring himself to tell me the truth."

"Well, either way…" Ressler's voice trailed off.

"Either way what?" Liz turned and blinked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Ressler paused. "Either way, I'm on your side," he continued slowly. "Always. Whatever you need," he added.

Liz didn't even realize she was holding her breath until she exhaled. "Thank you," she whispered.

Ressler glanced at her and then extended his right hand and laced his fingers through her left. "I meant what I said earlier - I'm not gonna let anything happen to Agnes, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

Liz ducked her head and flushed slightly as she felt his fingers tighten slightly around hers. "I thought the 'we' you mentioned earlier included Cooper and Aram," she said softly.

"It does - it did," Ressler replied quickly. "But I —" his voice trailed off as he forced himself to refocus on the road, his hand still in hers. For the second time that day, he found himself unable to tell her how he really felt.

Eventually, Ressler cleared his throat. "All that matters to me is keeping you and Agnes safe," he said tightly. "Whatever it takes." He glanced over at Liz once more. Her expression was inscrutable but even in the darkness he could see that her eyes were glistening.

"I appreciate that," she said softly. "More than you know."

Ressler tightened his grip on the steering wheel with his left hand as he tightened his grip on Liz's fingers with his right hand. They rode in silence for a distance down the highway.

"So, what are we gonna do next?" he asked eventually.

"_We_?" Liz asked for the second time that day. Ressler swore he was mistaken at the slight lilt in her voice and stole a glance in her direction. His heartbeat quickened as his eyes met hers. He'd fought the urge to reach out and take her in his arms at the costume store up until the moment the shop owner had interrupted them.

"Yeah, as in _you and me_," he emphasized.

"That's a good question," Liz replied quietly. "I'm not sure I know the answer right now." She rubbed her thumb lightly against his hand, which was still intertwined with hers.

"Fair enough," Ressler managed, distracted by the movement of her thumb. "You let me know once you figure it out, okay?"

"I will," Liz replied softly. "I promise."


End file.
